Painting Flowers
by Jenrukiforevz
Summary: "I'm still making flowers for you, Lisanna." A sad Nali two-shot.
1. Painting Flowers

**I love Nali. That's all I have to say.**

* * *

**Painting Flowers**

When we were kids, I used my Dragon Slayer magic to make flowers out of fire for Lisanna.

It always made my day to see her eyes light up with wonder and curiosity at a flower she could not touch. She could only watch and stare as the sparks lit up the night and slowly faded away.

Happy would plop down on her head and sleep as the minutes dragged by without anything to say, and I couldn't have been any happier.

How could I not be?

Time went by, and many birthdays passed. And yet, I still continued to create little fire flowers, which became better and better as my skills grew stronger.

And when I'd have an especially bad day, she would invite me to sit with her by the river and just talk. Happy never tagged along, for a reason unknown to me, but I appreciated it all the same.

Sometimes, I just needed time alone with her to really connect.

And again, I would mold more flowers.

Why didn't Elfman let me go with them on that job that day?

I remember making my way to the guild, opening the door, and having the sight of sorrow almost suffocate me.

Mirajane looked up at me with grief-stricken eyes, and that's when I knew.

She was gone.

I was blind, deaf, and mute at the same time. I knew people were talking to me, but I was completely numb. How I managed to get home on my own is still a mystery to me.

I'm surprised I was able to sleep that night. Maybe the exhaustion that was weighing down on my heart was pulling me into a deep slumber.

I dreamed of her.

Her smile was as radiant as ever, her brilliant blue eyes gazed lovingly at me. I wanted to hug her, but with a flip of her short silver hair, she was gone.

I woke up with sweat covering my whole body.

Happy was very worried for me, and in return, so was I. Lisanna had been like a mother to my blue friend, and I personally knew how it felt to lose a parent.

Anger was my first reaction. I feared I would have demolished the house if the Master hadn't visited.

"Fairy Tail will never forget her," he told me.

That's when the tears finally fell.

Somewhere along the way, the Master left, and all I could feel was Happy at my side, his nose running because of his tears as well.

That night, I told the Master that besides the grave that was at the cemetery, I wanted one to be made at our old child dome. He obliged, and a couple of days later, a gravestone marked the spot where Lisanna and I had kept Happy's egg.

I wasn't the only one who visited.

"It was all my fault..."

Elfman was taking it harder than anyone else. I can't blame him, he was the one responsible for her death, after all.

As much as I wanted to blame him for everything, I couldn't bring myself to do it. How could I make a man who had already lost so much feel even worse?

Instead, I told him that she wouldn't want him to be sad. I spoke truthfully, and it was the first time I had directly spoken about her since her death.

Elfman left, and I stayed.

I took the time to create the best fire flowers I could manage. I covered the entirety of her grave, making sure that no dirt was visible. The flowers lit up throughout the night.

They only lasted till dawn.

**...**

I found her; I've truly made it home.

Ever since she died, Fairy Tail has ceased to be my true home. Sure, it was where everything I live and care about is, but I can't believe it to be my home 100%. Not without Lisanna present.

But now, she's right here in front of me. All I have to do is reach out and I can touch her. Too bad Lucy gets in the way.

Something is different about her. She's suddenly adopted the "bad girl" attitude and she's complaining about things I don't understand, and that's when Charle says out loud what has dawned on me.

She is not my Lisanna. She doesn't belong to Fairy Tail. She belongs to Edolas.

**...**

That night, in my hotel room, I'm reminded of all of my past memories, both good and bad. Why did I have to see her face?

I sigh.

Flames spread on my fingertips and take on the shape of flower.

"I'm still making flowers for you, Lisanna."

* * *

_When I wake up, The dream isn't done_

_I wanna see your face and know I made it home_

_If nothing is true, what more can I do?_

_I am still painting flowers for you ~ All Time Low_


	2. They Say That Love Is Forever

**A/N: You guys wanted another chapter, so here it is. I thought I had a mojo with the first, but that's nothing compared to this. It's longer, but worth the read. And what the heck? Why do I get inspired by Sleeping With Sirens? First All Time Low, now this. I don't even like those bands! Oh well, sometimes, you have that one song by that one band you hate that you absolutely love.**

**Shoutouts: _Anime fan KNB, musical supremacy, , Claire-Starsword, Belphy, Falingten, _and_ The Favorite of the Gods _for either reviewing, following, or favoriting the first chapter. Thanks!**

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They Say That Love Is Forever

I hate myself.

I should be happy, ecstatic even. I'm back from Edolas after a painstaking two years. I'm back with my friends; my _family_. I'm back with Mira and Elfman and Natsu and Happy. And Gray and Cana and Erza and Levy. And the Master too.

Why do I hate it here?

On my first day back, it was easy to say that it would all go back to normal once all of the joy of the return home died down. Days turned into weeks, and weeks turned to months.

And it has never gone back to the way it used to be.

Is two years really that much?

No, the guild hasn't changed too drastically. Everyone I know is still there, and all of its traditions are intact as well. There's always a brawl going on, just like before, and the only one who really changed was my sister. I've grown used to her though, and her fighting spirit hasn't disappeared.

I'm near the river where my generation used to play, fight, cry, and do all of the stuff children do. It's one of the places that has also changed. It's dry now, and no water flows down the bank. All that's left is cracked soil.

But it's not what bothers me. The thing that bothers me most, is all of the new members: Wendy, Charle, Lucy, Gajeel, Laxus being expelled; it's all so overwhelming.

How could I have expected the guild to be on pause for so long? Fairy Tail moved on after my supposed death. Why do I care so much?

Not even that, but Natsu has ignored me somewhat. He greets me sometimes, he keeps smiling; he acts as if nothing is wrong. And I can't criticize him because then, I'd be a hypocrite.

Because I too, am acting like nothing is wrong.

I swear that my siblings can hear me cry at night. They haven't confronted me about it, but I don't think it will take much longer.

I hug my knees closer to my chest. My hair has grown longer, but everything else has remained the same. I've even reverted back to wearing some of my old dresses. Maybe if I try hard enough, then I'll wake up one day to see the old guild, when we were all kids and didn't have to worry about some danger or a new group of evil mages.

The truth is too hard to bear. Fairy Tail _is_ normal. It hasn't changed, nothing has. It's my view of it that's differed.

I'm no longer the girl that everyone fusses over. Lucy is Natsu's best friend, not me. Happy is not my little baby anymore.

And Natsu is no longer in love with me.

The tears start streaming down like a waterfall. I want to hug someone, but it's not like anyone's here. Nobody is anymore. I don't truly belong anymore.

"Lisanna?"

I turn around to see Natsu staring at me, worry sketched on his face. Igneel's scarf hangs around his neck, as always, and his spiky pink hair is as messy as ever.

"Oh, Natsu," I say, trying desperately to get rid of the tears in my eyes. I force a smile, even if I have nothing to be happy about. "What brings you here?"

He isn't entirely convinced, his mouth still in a frown.

"You weren't around at the guild, so I came looking for you," he explains, his eyes focusing on my own. "Is anything wrong?"

I shake my head quickly. I don't want him to be involved in my problems. He deserves to live his life like he wants to, and I shouldn't get in the way of that.

He sighs and sits down beside me, crossing his legs. We both stare at the nonexistent river in silence. I wish I can confess everything to him, but I don't want him to be pained as I am. Besides, who says that things will ever get better? Why should they? Everyone is happy just the way things are. My opinions aren't going to vary the way they do things.

"I don't believe you," he blurts. He looks at me, concern apparent.

I don't say anything, but I should know by now that Natsu never drops a topic.

"You can tell me anything, Lisanna," he tries to convince me.

I suck in my breath, tears swimming in my eyelids.

"That's just it, Natsu. I can't tell you anything, not anymore," I admit.

I've tried to veer from this conclusion plenty of times. I tell myself that it's not true, that Natsu will always be there, no matter what. However, these two years have created a barrier between us, one that I've tried to break through for months. I haven't even left a dent yet.

His eyebrows furrow in confusion. "What do you mean?"

All of the feelings I've kept inside ever since my return takes over. My anger, my sorrow, my jealousy, my hatred.

"You're never there anymore!" I yell, jumping up to my feet. "I thought that when I finally got here, that we would become best friends like before. But what do you do? You have fun for a couple of days and then leave me alone. You go on adventures with your new team, the one _I _used to be a part of. The one, _we _used to be a part of..."

"Lisanna..." Natsu tries to interrupt, but I won't let him.

"Don't you understand the pain I feel whenever I see you laughing with Lucy? All of the times you've been there for her, smiled at her, visited her... I-I just want it to be me for once!"

I hadn't noticed my hands turn to fists. At this point, my anger is boiling, and I consider using my Animal Soul to fly away from all of my problems. Find a new guild, a new life.

That's when I feel Natsu's hand grip my wrist. The sensation still sends shivers down my spine and my heart beats faster. My face turns red, something I wish I could control. Why must he do this now?

"I had no idea I was hurting you," he confesses, a tear falling down his cheek. "I'm so, so sorry, Lisanna."

I collapse onto the floor, my knees pressed against the cold floor.

"How could you just forget about me?" I ask in desperation. The question is really made for myself, but Natsu answers it anyways.

"I've never forgotten about you!" he yells.

I look at him. I've never seen him so angry before, except for maybe when we would fight an especially difficult enemy.

"I've just been afraid..." he reveals.

This is not the answer I was expecting. What could he possibly be afraid of? Since when is Natsu Dragneel afraid of anything?

His breath is shaking as he keeps speaking, "I've been afraid of this change. When you were gone, seemingly forever, I was terrified."

His words touch my heart. Maybe the boy I've known for most of my life isn't as fearless as I thought he was.

"I-I was frightened of the fact that things wouldn't be the same anymore. When I finally moved on, I met Lucy, and she reminded me of you."

I listen intently. How was I even similar to Lucy? Lucy was gorgeous, smart, and even though she had a big personality at times, she had a good heart. I'm not nearly as pretty, can barely keep my magic in check, and I'm so jealous at times that I can't stand even looking at her.

"How?" I find myself saying out loud.

He chuckles nervously, his cheeks turning bright red.

"I guess it's just the way you both can make me feel special," he smiles.

I must have had a puzzled expression on my face, because he proceeds to make his words more clear.

"Sometimes, I feel like everyone sees me as a pain. I know they don't mean it in a harsh way, but the way they look at me, just makes me feel like I'm just getting in the way. I wasn't fully accepted by the guild when I first joined either, not to mention that I had my own emotional problems with Igneel's departure. You-you were my very first friend."

I smile, memories rushing into my mind. I remember offering to share my umbrella with him, introducing myself, asking if we could be friends. Then we helped Happy to hatch, and he promised me that he would always find me if I ever got lost. Those were good times.

"And when Lucy came around, she, I admit, sort of took your place. Sure she can hate my guts at times, but I know she cares. She did join our team an all... The point is though," he interjects as he reads my expression. "The point is though, I was afraid when you came back, because I don't want to build my life all over again. The first time was hard enough. And, I don't want to get rid of Lucy either."

"I got so caught up and confused, I ended up making the wrong choice: leaving you be. I wanted to hang out, be friends again. I just, felt that I would mess up the world I have already created. I didn't realize, that you would make that world a billion times better. Because I lied before: I didn't want to be friends, I wanted-I _want_ to be more than that."

"Natsu..." I laugh, patting the earth beside me so that he can sit down.

He does so and takes my hands in his.

"Forgive me, Lisanna," he pleads.

I nod, my eyes brimming with tears of joy. I haven't felt this complete ever since the Anima took me away. The puzzle pieces that make up my life up until this moment come together in harmony. All of my hatred is replaced by peace, and for a second, I feel like we're kids again.

He gives me one of his overly-large grins, the ones that make his cheeks almost disappear. I love those kinds in particular. Afterwards, he unwounds the scarf around his neck and wraps it around mine as well, so that our back are touching each other's.

"They say that love is forever," he comments, reaching for my hand, which I give to him happily. "Do you think that's true?"

I reply without hesitation: "Absolutely."

"I can't promise I won't make mistakes though," he adds.

I giggle, leaning back slightly. "I wasn't expecting you to."

* * *

_They say that love is forever;_

_Your forever is all that I need._

_Please stay as long as you need._

_Can't promise that things won't be broken,_

_But I swear that I will never leave._

_Please stay forever with me. ~ SWS_


End file.
